NHS report finds missed chances to save William Mead

Posted on: 26th January 2016

Our client Melissa Mead has today welcomed the NHS England report on the 2014 death of her son William Mead. The report says that William might have lived if NHS 111 call handlers had realised the seriousness of his condition.

Twelve-month-old William, from Penryn, died on 14 December 2014 from sepsis arising from undiagnosed pneumonia. His death could have been avoided, had there not been missed opportunities at a number of stages during his illness to identify William as a seriously ill child who needed medical intervention. Speaking to the BBC and Daily Mail, William’s mother, Melissa Mead, said: “We are glad the report has shown up there were failures and missed opportunities. We hope from the recommendations made this never happens again.”

“We fought the hardest battle to get answers, knowing we had already lost William.”

Rachel Heelis and Dawn Treloar of Hodge Jones & Allen act for Ms Mead. Dawn Treloar says: “This is a profoundly sad case where opportunities to provide appropriate treatment to William were missed. The conclusions of the report by NHS England are far-reaching, and we welcome improved patient safety as a result of implementation of the recommendations. The involvement of William’s parents in the investigation by NHS England has meant that their concerns and questions have been fully explored, and it is refreshing to see the benefits of care providers’ compliance with the statutory Duty of Candour for those affected by substandard treatment.”